No abstract available.

Hospitals have been very susceptable to changes in external environment. Accordingly, they have been experiencing great financial difficulty due to low insurance rates and increasing competition. As a remedy, hospitals have attempted to use computer in a strategic manner. Such system is called strategic information system (SIS) , and order communication system (OCS) is an example of SIS in hospital setting. While OCS has known to be effective in reducing waiting time for outpatients, many hospitals are reluctant to introduce this system mainly because there are no real data or methods for justifying the cost of the system. Cost-benefit analysis has been traditionally used for such purpose, but this method deals with limited portion of benefits and therefore not very useful for analyzing the economic feasibility of SIS. In this paper, information economics tools which expand cost with value was used to analyze the economic feasibility of OCS. To assist the analysis, financial simulation model was developed using simulation package, called IFPS (Interactive Financial Planning System).
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Insurance ; Outpatients

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Esophagitis*

It is well established that mast cell proliferation and maturation are regulated by two principle cytokines, IL-3 and the c-kit ligand stem cell factor (SCF). Previous reports have demonstrated that bone marrow-derived IL-3-dependent mast cells exhibit the characteristic apoptosis on removal of IL-3. To know how the number of mast cells is controlled, we observed the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on the murine bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMCMC). Apoptosis was measured by the analysis of flow cytometric data and electrophoretic evidence of DNA fragmentation. Our data showed that sodiurn nitroprusside (SNP)-a NO releasing substance- induced apoptosis in BMCMC. Cell cycle analysis showed that the number of the G,/G, and S phase decreased markedly, while the percentage of cell in G,/M phase was increased. Also, SNP alone induced cell death, whereas SNP in combination with SCF markedly decreased cell death of BMCMC. SNP-induced apoptosis was partially inhibited by the treatment of BMCMC with SCF. Our results suggest that NO might have sorne role in the regulation of the number of mast cells.
Apoptosis ; Bone Marrow* ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cytokines ; DNA Fragmentation ; Interleukin-3 ; Mast Cells* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; S Phase ; Stem Cell Factor

The aim of this study was to evaluate a usefulness of serum SCC antigen in diagnosis or evaluation of therapeutic effect of lung cancer by investigation of the differences of SCC antigen concentration in lung mass according to TNM staging, and mass size of lung cancer. And the other aim was to know whether SCC antigen plays a role in infiltrative growth of lung cancer or not, comparing with concentration of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in tissue which is related with growth and differentiation of tumor cell. The results of this study were as follows. The concentration of SCC antigen in squamous cell carcinoma of lung (69+/-25ng/ml) was higher than in unaffected lung tissue (34+/-7ng /ml). (p<0.05). The concentration of SCC antigen was higher in squamous cell carcinoma (69+/-25ng/ml) than in adenocarcinoma (35+/-25ng/ml) (p<0.05), but the concentration of EGFr showed no any significant difference in both histological types. In small sized mass (<3cm in diameter) the concentration of SCC antigen in central portion of tumor was higher than that of peripheral portion, whereas in large sized mass (> or =5cm in diameter), the concentration of SCC antigen in peripheral portion of tumor was higher than that of central portion. (p<0.05). The concentration of EGFr according to tumor size was not significantly different in central and peripheral portion of tumor. The concentration of SCC antigen according to TNM staging of lung cancer was that from central portion was higher in stage I, II, but that from peripheral portion was higher in stage III, IV (p<0.05). The concentration of EGFr from central portion was higher in higher TNM stage (not significant) but that from peripheral portion shows no significant changes. In conclusion, the concentration of SCC antigen in tissue was higher in squamous cell carcinoma than in unaffected lung tissue or adenocarcinoma, and the concentration of SCC antigen increased according to tumor size or TNM staging like in serum level. so, serum SCC antigen is a useful tumor marker to diagnose or evaluate therapeutic effect of squamous cell carcinoma of lung. But further studies are necessary to confirm the relation of infiltrative growth in lung cancer and concentration of SCC antigen because there was a different pattern of regional tissue concentration of SCC antigen and EGFr.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Diagnosis ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor

BACKGROUND: The psychosocial factors to the musculoskeletal disease has been studied recently as well as environmental factors. Type A behavior pattern which is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease may have relation to musculoskeletal disease, and the authors studied the relations for these variables. METHODS: The studied subjects were 511 housewives sampled without intention at Taejon city and we excluded 76 persons who had experiences of trauma at neck, shoulder or back region during recent one year on the data analysis. The musculoskeletal symptoms and type A behavior pattern were quantified as the score and the Spearmans correlation coefficient was used to reveal the statistical significance for the relations. RESULTS: Type A behavior pattern had the relation to the symptoms of neck, sboulder, and back region. For the sociodemographic variables, the relations were significant for the group of younger age, lower socioeconomic level, and the group having full time job, lower body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that type A behavior pattern was the possible risk factor for musculoskeletal disease, but more studies will be necessary to confirm the influence of behavior pattern to musculoskeletal disease.
Body Mass Index ; Coronary Disease ; Daejeon ; Humans ; Intention ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Neck ; Psychology ; Risk Factors ; Shoulder ; Statistics as Topic

No abstract available.
Rhinomanometry*

No abstract available.
Glomus Tympanicum*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to confirm the clinical and histopathologic findings of ovarian tumors and determine the malignancy before operation. It will attribute to early diagnosis, determining direction of treatment and improving prognosis of malignant ovarian tumor. METHODS: Seven hundred sixty-five patients who had an operation for ovarian tumors in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Gachon University Gil Medical Center from April 2007 to December 2009 were enrolled as subjects. A retrospective analysis of age, parity, menopausal status, preoperative CA 125, histology, ultrasound, and treatment method was done. RESULTS: 1. Among benign ovarian tumors, endometrial cyst (211 cases, 30.1%) was most common and had the highest preoperative CA 125 (76.07 U/mL). 2. Among borderline ovarian tumors, mucinous type (16 cases, 62.5%) was most common, but preoperative CA 125 was higher in serous type (144.38 U/mL) than mucinous type (82.59 U/mL). 3. Among malignant ovarian tumors, serous adenocarcinoma (14 cases, 29.8%) was most common, and undifferentiated carcinoma had the highest preoperative CA 125 (500.0 U/mL). 4. The preoperative CA 125 showed a tendency to increase in relation to stage in malignant ovarian tumors. 5. Age, preoperative CA 125, menopausal status and ultrasound finding were identified as discriminating factors for malignancy and relative risk of them were 7.19, 7.90, 5.56 and 61.43, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using the combination of age, menopausal status, preoperative CA 125 and ultrasound to diagnose ovarian tumors before the operation will be a help to early diagnosis and determining the treatment and improve prognosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; CA-125 Antigen ; Carcinoma ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Mucins ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies